This is the best play in the PUSH festival so far, a raw and urgent must-see performance from the magnetic Marcus Hercules.

In Prison Game we get to hear the story of Mike Stone (aka Bullet): growing up on the streets of Manchester, getting sucked into the world of crime, finding himself caught in a trap even before prison comes a ’knocking.

On stage there was just a chair and Hercules himself. It was enough. We experienced all the emotion of one man’s life, we were present when crucial decisions were contemplated. We looked on as he lost his soul. We witnessed multitudes.

While watching Prison Game I was reminded of a remark that Chris Honer made to me going on six years ago. This was in the bar at the old Library Theatre after seeing Road Movie, which would make the date 19 May 2010. Chris said: Yes, Mark Pinkosh’s performance was a monologue, even though he played more than one character. So Hercules’ dynamic, variegated performance has to be called a monologue, though there wasn’t anything remotely ‘mono’ about it. He became in turn Mike, his older brother, a police officer, a teacher, a judge… and there was a carnival MC here too, to round out each chapter of Mike’s life – there’s always carnival.

Marcus Hercules is the hardest working man in theatre.

There are only two more performances of Prison Game at HOME, details here.